Assassyn

Assassyn

In the mid 1980's I joined a Medieval/Dark Ages "metal weapons" battle re-enactment group, (Grey Company) and spent about 15 years wearing armour and wielding various weapons ranging from dagger to two handed sword and quarter staff.  Although the company was orientated to the theatrical, it was fairly heavy duty and probably about as close to real combat as I wished to come.  (I was in the Army for 15 years and spent 12 months in South Vietnam in 1970-71, which was in some senses a walk in the park - physically anyway.)

There was discussion about applying the company's skillsets to active gaming, either on a board, or on the battlefield.

I worked out a set of rules for a board game which I called "Assassyn", which while seemingly similar to chess, (and using the same pieces but re-purposed), had far more realism in that luck, as well as skill and a tactical mind were needed.

Unlike chess, where the king cannot be "killed", but simply checkmated, Assassyn allows for the Prince to be killed.  This will end the game, but there can also be a stalemate or a draw.

The rules are laid out below.

It was envisaged that as well being played face to face across a table, the game could be played on a larger scale with human warriors engaging in actual combat, but to a pre-determined result, on a field with squares marked.  Another version could be even closer to reality where there would be a "warriors' market" before the game commenced and would-be players would look at the "combat resume" of fighters and bid for their skills.  In the ultimate, the combat would NOT have a pre-determined result, but would be decided by the skill of the mercenary fighters.

The game was never actually tried out in full, but various attempts to do so were not successful, mainly because the actuality of the "real" combat was more addictive than reproducing combat on a table.

So I offer this game to world, to anybody who wishes to play it.  As the creator of the game I hold the copyright, so whilst you are free to play it, any attempt by any individual person to make money by selling it is forbidden.  (Unless you offer me a share of the profits.)

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"Grey Company Assassin"

RULES OF THE GAME

A (board) game based on Grey Company simulated (field) combat.

Object of the game:  Kill the Opposing Prince.  Alternatively, force a draw with both Princes remaining alive.

Playing field/board 6x6 squares.  (For convenience, the squares should be large enough to hold two pieces simultaneously).  Chess pieces can be used to play the game.

Pieces (Grey company weapons): 7.  One Prince/General (single sword) (King); one Warrior (Sword and shield) (Queen); two longswordsmen (Rook); two shortswordsmen (Bishop); one assassin (dagger) (Pawn).  In the GreyCo field event there is a General who shall command each side and order tactics and moves.  This can either be the Prince on the field or a General off the field who does not partake in combat and may not enter the field.  (This of course means there will be 8 "pieces" per side, instead of 7.)

Dice (for board version) Each player should have one 10 sided die, one 12 sided die, one 20 sided die.

Dice value of each piece:  Prince (10); Warrior (20); Longsword (12); Shortsword (10); assassin (as agreed between players).

Initial disposition of pieces:  White (attacker) shall be determined by an agreed method.  White disposes their troops as they see fit anywhere in the first two ranks of their side of the board/field.  Black then disposes as they think appropriate.  NOTE:  There are no "fixed" positions for any piece.  (Possible alternatives: (a) Each player writes their disposition on pieces of paper, and when both have finished they lay their papers on the board and set their pieces accordingly. (b) Each player, commencing with White, sets one piece of any value in position, then alternates with Black, until all pieces are disposed.)

Moves:  Each General/player shall move alternately, commencing with White.  All moves (except "assassyn strikes") are through an empty or "clear" square.  Upon meeting an opposing piece the move ceases.  Two opposing pieces may occupy a single square, but two pieces on the same side cannot.  An "escape" move cannot take a piece back "through" a challenging piece - ie move to a square through which the challenging piece has travelled.

Prince can move one square in any direction (Chess "King" move);
Warrior can move in a straight line only, in any direction any number of "clear" squares (Chess "Queen" move);
Longswordsman can move in a straight line only, on the horizontal and perpendicular, any number of "clear" squares (Chess "Rook" move).  
Shortswordsman can move in a straight line only, on the diagonal, any number of "clear" squares (Chess "Bishop" move);
Assassin can move one square in any direction (Chess "King" move) (NOTE: See "assassin strike".)

Three types of Move:  Tactical Disposition; Challenge to Combat; Assassin Strike

Tactical disposition:  A piece may be moved from one square to another vacant square, in accordance with the movement restrictions as above, for the purposes of tactical disposition.

Challenge to Combat:  A piece may be moved from one square to a square occupied by an opposing piece, in accordance with the movement restrictions as above.  Upon entering an occupied square this is a "Challenge" to the opposing piece to enter into combat.  The challenged player has the option of "escape", ie moving to another square (where possible), or accepting the challenge and initiating combat.  If there is no legal move available for the challenged piece, then combat will be initiated immediately.  (In the "field" version the combat will take place in a designated area free of any interference or hazards and will be fought using appropriate weapons under Grey Co standard combat rules.)  The acceptance of a challenge (whether voluntarily or involuntarily) constitutes the "turn" of the challenged side.

Assassyn Strike:  This is a move allowed only by an assassyn whereby the assassyn may strike (from a "blind spot") and kill an opposing piece in an adjacent square.  The assassyn then returns to its original square.  NOTE:  Blind spot.  In striking an opposing piece it must be (a) within an assassyn's movement range (adjacent square) and from a position where the opposing piece cannot "see" (immediately counter attack) the assassyn.  Eg in striking a Shortswordsman which moves diagonally, the assassyn can only strike from a horizontal or vertical position.  In striking against a Longswordsman, which moves horizontally or vertically, the assassyn may only strike from a diagonal position.  

Once a piece is involved in a challenge, ie it is occupying a square with an opposing piece, it is "blind" all round and can be the subject of an assassyn strike.  This includes Prince and Warrior, who would otherwise be immune to a strike, having no "blind spots" normally.  (NOTE: In light of the treacherous nature of the assassyn can strike "Through" a piece on their own side.  Eg if an assassyn is "behind" his own Prince and the Prince is under challenge, the strike can still occur.)

Any piece (except an assassyn) may kill an assassyn without a challenge being made.  Ie if a legal move takes a piece into a square occupied by an opposing assassyn, the assassyn is dead immediately.  (In the "field" version this prevents the danger of a fighter with a dagger having to engage in combat with other weapons.)  

However an assassyn may CHALLENGE the opposing assassyn in the normal fashion.  The same value dice must be used by each side.  The players shall agree between them which dice shall be used to determine the result.  In this move the victorious assassyn remains in the square in which they met, rather than returning to the original square as in a strike.  (This "two methods of combat" to a degree reproduces the unique characteristic of the dagger, which has two sets of rules - normal combat and dagger combat.)

Deciding combat

Once a challenge has been accepted, each player shall throw the die which is relative to the piece that is engaged.  Ie Warrior shall throw a 20, Prince a 10, longsword a 12 shortsword a 10.

If both dice throw equal value, both pieces are dead and are removed from the field/board and will take no further part in that match.  If player A throws a score of 1 higher than the opponent, then the opponent's piece is dead, but player A's piece is "wounded severely".  If player A throws a score 2 more than B then B is dead, and A is "wounded slightly".

If A throws 3 or more higher than player B, then player B's piece is dead and removed from the field.  NOTE:  If two assassyns are engaged in combat, then there is no wounding.  The player throwing the higher score wins, regardless of the margin.

Wounds:  If a fighter sustains a severe wound this can be healed by not moving that piece for two consecutive turns of its own side.  For a slight wound, one turn without moving will heal.

If a wounded fighter is engaged in combat before healing occurs, then their "strength" is reduced by 1 or 2 points as appropriate.  In combat between a severely wounded fighter and an unwounded fighter, for a simultaneous kill to occur, the unwounded player needs only to throw a score of 1 less than the wounded player for both to die.

Healing:  Once a wounded piece is not moved for the necessary (consecutive) turn(s), they are automatically healed.  A piece may indicated as wounded by putting some marker on it, or merely lying it down on its side.  "Healing" a player does not constitute a turn.

Draw:  A draw can be declared if the situation is such that one Prince is unable or unwilling to be challenged.  Eg a wounded Prince may be pursued by the opposing Prince but is able to keep out of reach by legally moving shall be declared a draw.